NRSB RMT study plan

Define radon and explain its radioactive decay chain from uranium-238 through radium-226 to radon-222 and its short-lived progeny, listing the half-lives of each step

Distinguish radon-222 from radon-220 (thoron) and identify which one is the primary indoor measurement target and why

Explain the difference between radon gas concentration and radon decay product (progeny) concentration, and state which one is measured by standard test devices

Describe the units used in the field (pCi/L, Bq/m3) and convert at least five example values in both directions using the 37 Bq/m3 = 1 pCi/L relationship

List the major entry routes of radon into a building and rank them by typical contribution

Describe how a charcoal adsorption (activated charcoal) test device works, including exposure period, adsorption behavior, and the effect of temperature and humidity on uptake

Describe how an alpha track detector works, including track formation, typical deployment duration, and why it suits long-term tests

Describe how an electret ion chamber works, including voltage decay as the measurement principle and its sensitivity to humidity

Explain the difference between short-term and long-term test protocols and state when each is appropriate

Identify the main sources of measurement error for each device type and match each device to a suitable deployment scenario

Explain closed-building conditions: what they are, why they are required, and how to instruct an occupant to maintain them before and during a test

Determine correct device placement for a test, including floor level, distance from walls and ceilings, and rooms to avoid

Identify conditions that invalidate a test (severe storms, unusual ventilation, device tampering, missing exposure time) and state the corrective action for each

Write the sequence of steps for retrieving, sealing, and shipping a test device to a laboratory without introducing loss or contamination

Explain how test duration affects the reliability of the result and how to describe that uncertainty to a client

Explain the role of a radon measurement professional in the testing process and where their responsibility ends and the laboratory's begins

Describe chain-of-custody requirements and the information that must accompany a device to the lab

Explain quality assurance and quality control activities in a measurement program, including duplicates, blanks, spikes, and calibrations

Interpret a laboratory report: identify the reported value, the uncertainty, the detection limit, and any flags or comments

Explain how to communicate a test result to a client, including what a result below and above an action level means for next steps

Explain how radon enters through soil gas driven by pressure differentials and describe how a sub-slab depressurization system interrupts that pathway

List the main mitigation strategies (sub-slab depressurization, drain tile depressurization, block wall depressurization, sub-membrane depressurization, sealing, ventilation) and the building type each suits

Describe how to perform and interpret a post-mitigation test, including timing after system activation and the conditions required

Explain radon-resistant new construction features and the order in which they are installed

Identify which mitigation questions fall outside the measurement professional's scope and when to refer to a mitigation specialist

Explain the health risk framing for radon, including the link to lung cancer and the combined effect with smoking, using only defensible statements

Describe how action levels and reference levels are used in decision-making and how to explain a level without overstating or understating risk

Explain the difference between a screening measurement and a diagnostic or follow-up measurement and when each is used

Describe how radon levels vary by season, weather, time of day, and building operation, and how that variation affects test design

Explain how to handle a client who disputes a result, including re-test options and documentation

Explain the purpose of device calibration and how calibration traceability supports a measurement result

Describe the role of a primary and secondary radon chamber in calibration and performance testing

Explain how proficiency or performance testing programs evaluate a measurement professional or laboratory

Identify common causes of spurious high and low results and the QC check that would catch each

Describe recordkeeping expectations: what to retain, for how long, and why documentation matters if a result is challenged

Synthesize the full testing workflow from client inquiry through device deployment, lab analysis, result interpretation, and follow-up recommendation

Resolve any remaining weak areas by re-testing on missed practice items and rewriting the underlying notes

Explain each major concept from the plan aloud without notes, in under two minutes per concept

Review scope-of-practice and ethical boundaries, including conflicts of interest between testing and mitigation

Build a final one-page quick-reference sheet covering units, device types, conditions, and QC